Pertaining to garbage disposal



July 6,-1943. c. LE BLEU 2,323,511

PERTAINING T0 GARBAGE DISPOSAL Filed Feb. 17, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @WIIII H 3+ [l 1 r- I I I wil u Patented July 6, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PERTAINING TO' GARBAGE DISPOSAL Charles Le Bleu, Los Angeles, Calif. Application February 17, 1940, Serial No. 319,518

3 Claims.

This invention relates, generall speaking, to improvements in means for handling garbage and refuse that accumulates in and about inhabited places, such as, in and around homes, hotels, apartment houses, restaurants and the like, camp grounds, places of business, factories and shops, laboratories, barns, kennels, etc., and more specifically it is concerned with the provision of more convenient and sanitary means for the -immediate accumulation and storing of said garbage and refuse pending some final destruction or disposal thereof.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide, a container support upon which a container normally rests and a closure for the mouth of said container, said container support and said. closure being relatively arranged so as to assume positions of vertical alignment therebetween in closed position of said container and relatively vertically spaced laterally offset positions in open position of said container, and operatable control means arranged to function when actuated so as to secure forcible closing contact between the mouth of said container and said closure in closed position of said container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

Other objects and advantages of this inventio will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a detailed perusal of this specification and the attached drawings wherein I have exemplified my invention, but it is to be understood that my invention as here n exemplified and described is susceptible to numerous changes and modifications in the co-relation and forming of parts, members and features without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the annexed claims.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the invention with all parts disposed in lowered position of said container, and with said container disposed in an intermediate position B, between the closed position of said container at A and the open. position of said container at C.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure l with all parts in lowered position of said conatiner and disposed in the intermediate position B of Figure 1.

Figure 3 i a side view in elevation of my invention showing the container disposed in position A of Figure l and with all parts disposed in raised position of said container.

Figure 4 is an enlarged side view in elevation partly in section of the swinging arm and the control means carried on the free end thereof together with a fragment of the container support, the control mechanism being disposed in lowered position of said container.

Figure 5 is an enlarged side view in elevation of the control bushing and the attached operating lever.

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a side view of the horizontal pin and roller bushings which are adapted to cooperate with the control bushing in raisin and lowering the container. 1

Figure 8 is a reduced bottom plan view of the container closure. Referring now more specifically to structure by alluding to reference character on the'drawings, and for the moment, particularly to Figures 1 to 8 inclusive, an upper wall or drainboard is indicated at l5 and has space thereunder, which space is commonl used for the construction of cupboards and drawers.

One installation, for use, of my invention contemplates utilizing a portion of this cupboard space for that purpose and consequently my invention is shown installed in the space indicated at l6, which same is near a sink indicated at H, and the drainboard 15.

A vertical wall l8, reinforced by member 19, provides a place suitable for attaching a portion of my invention.

Secured to wall !8 by bolts 20, is a pair of vertically spaced brackets 2| provided with openings therethrough. An arm 22, is provided with a vertically extending opening as shown and is disposed'between brackets 2|, and a vertical pin 23 passes through the openings in brackets 2| and arm 22, the pin 23 being secured against turning movement by reason of a flat portion thereof resting against the upper bracket 2| as shown, arm 22 being free to swing about pin 23 a a pivot. Thus arm 22 is secured to a wall l8 for horizontal swinging movement.

The free end of arm 22 is provided with a journal box 24, the opening therethrough'extending vertically. Journal box 24 is provided with a horizontal pin 25, which extends through said journal box across the opening therethrough and upon which a pair of roller bushings 26 are journaled.

A control bushing 21 is journaled Within'said journal box 24 and is provided with an operating lever 28 which extends laterally therefrom and is adapted at its free end to be swung laterally so as to turn control bushing 21 about a vertical axi within said journal box 24. On the lower end of control bushing 21, is formed a pair of oppositely disposed inclined surfaces 29 arranged as advancing spirals in a common radial direction and each terminating in a lateral surface 39 extending in a direction at right angles to the longitudinal extension of the axis of control bushing 21, the lower end of control bushing 21 being arranged in contact with roller bushings 26 so that as control bushing 2'! is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, by means of control lever 28, said control bushing will be caused to move vertically as the inclined surfaces 29 travel across roller bushings 26, and when control bushing 21 has been rotated to the extent that lateral surfaces 30 are disposed upon roller bushings 26, then the operating lever 28 may be released and control bushing 21 will rest in its raised position. Control bushing 2'! being in raised position, obviously, rotation thereof in a clockwise direction may be resorted to for lowering said bushing.

A container support 3| is formed a a shallow pan with the vertical walls thereof extending upwardly. Container support 3| is provided with a downwardly projecting journal 32 extending within and supported by control bushing 21, and a container 33 is disposed upon container support 3|.

Thus, from the foregoing description it is readily seen that I have provided a container support which is arranged for lateral movement along a predetermined path of travel so that said support may be selectively positioned in a plurality of positions therein, and it is also clear that I have provided means for raising and lowering said container support.

An upper horizontally disposed wall 34 is supported on vertical walls l8 and 35, and may be, as shown, a drain board adjacent a sink IT.

The kind of materials from which drain boards may be made are numerous, but a common type of construction consists of a horizontally disposed wood base or support 35 upon which is poured a mixture of cement, sand and water, 36, and subsequently this mixture is surfaced with tile 31.

As will readily be understood, the enclosed space I6 is simply a cupboard which includes the vertical walls l8 and 35 supporting the horizontal wall 34 and is provided with a closure or door 38 in any suitable conventional manner, and the container 33 being supported for horizontal movement as has already been described, it is clear that container 33 may be positioned within said cupboard as indicated at A, Figure 1, or may be positioned outside said cupboard as indicated at C, Figure 1.

Generally speaking, garbage which accumulates daily around an inhabited place is temporarily disposed of by dumping the same into a container and thus stored pending some final disposition thereof which will usually happen at intervals of from 1 to 7 days.

Now it has been determined that a conglomerate of garbage stored in an air tight container will not decay as rapidly as similar garbage stored in a container that is not air tight. Furthermore, if the container is closed air tight, insects, ants, flies, etc., will be excluded therefrom. Applicant has therefore provided means for keeping the container closed air tight when not in actual use, which means may consist of a gasket 39 formed from resilient materials. Gasket 39 is carried by a plate 49 which is detachably secured to the underside of upper wall 34 with the exposed surface of the gasket 39 facing downwardly.

As shown, gasket 39 is in the form of a circle and the plate 40 to which it is secured is attached to upper wall 34 so that the focal point of said circle is substantially on the path traveled by the axis of journal 32 as container support 3| is moved from one position to another.

Now it should be readily seen at this point that container support 3|, being in the position of Figures 1 and 2, may be moved to a position directly beneath gasket 39 and operating lever 28 may be swung in a counter-clockwise direction to raise container support 3| and imbed the rim of container 33 in gasket 39 as shown in Figure 3, thus forming an air tight joint or connection between container 33 and gasket 39.

It is of course obvious that gasket 39 and plate 40 will become soiled in use and it will be desirable to clean the same. I have therefore provided a plurality of elongated tapered openings 4| through plate 40, arranged radially about gasket 39. A plurality of screws 42, having heads, are screwed into upper wall 34 in an arrangement corresponding to the arrangement of openings 4| through plate 40. Screws 42 are screwed into upper wall 34 until a space is provided between the screw head and the lower face of upper wall 34 that is slightly greater than the thickness of plate 40, which is supported by the screw heads. Therefore, to remove plate 40 together with gasket 39, simply rotate plate 40 until the screw heads are aligned with the larger portion of openings 4|. The gasket 39 and plate 4!] may then be removed and cleaned, after which it may be replaced.

It is perhaps best to explain at this point that garbage containers of conventional style now available may be used with my invention and that the rims of these containers are often imperfect, or may have been deformed in handling, so that said rims are unsuited for use with a gasket of firm materials if an air tight joint is desired. Therefore I have provided a gasket made from materials, such as rubber or the like, having great resiliency and of unusual thickness so that the rim of said container may be embedded therein to provide an air tight joint notwithstanding the rim of said container may be imperfect or deformed.

It will also be noted that gasket 39 is of unusual width. This is explained by the fact that the conventional types of containers which may be used with my invention vary considerably in diameter, and the further fact that a container is often deformed in handling so that the mouth thereof is not a true circle.

Viewing now, Figures 1 and 2 especially, a trapdoor and associated structure is indicated generally at 43. An opening is provided through the drainboard l5 and a flange bushing 44 is installed therein with the flange 45 thereof flush with the upper surface of the drainboard. A companion packing flange 46 is installed from the under side of said drainboard and surrounds bushing 44 and is provided with a packing groove and packing 41, said packing being arranged to contact the upper surface of plate 49 and thus provide a moisture and air tight joint therebetween. The flange bushing 44 and the packing flange 46 could be formed as one piece, but drainboards will not all be of the same thickness at point of installation because of inaccurate workmanship and also due to the fact that the drainboard usually slopes downwardly toward the sink ll while boards 35' may be level. The opening through the drainboard l may therefore be said to be lined with a variable length bushing, and the fit of flange bushing 44 within flange 46 may be termed a push fit, the clearance therebetween being filled with paint or mastic, etc., at time of installation to form an air-tight association therebetween. The upper internal edge of bushing 44 may be a machined or ground taper into which a door 48 fits, said door being also formed with a tapered edge machined or ground so as to form an air tight closure for bushing 44.

In use, the container support 3| is swung inwardly until the container is directly beneath the trap door arrangement 43. Operating lever 28 is then swung in a counter-clockwise direction to raise said container to form an air tight joint with gasket 39, the lateral surfaces 36 of control bushing 21 then resting upon roller bushings 26 so as to retain said container in raised position. Trap door 48 may then be removed and garbage dumped therethrough into container 33, it being understood that there is an opening 49 through plate 40, after which door 48 is replaced. When it is desired to remove the container 33 for final disposition of the garbage therein, control lever 28 is swung in a clockwise direction to lower container 33 and container support 3! is then swung to a position outside said cupboardwhere the container can then be conveniently removed therefrom, see position C, Figure l.

The various parts of Figure 3 are the part shown in Figures 1 and 2 and 4 to 8 inclusive, the container 33 being disposed in the raised position indicated at A, Figure 1. However, in Figure 3 the trap door structure 43 has been omitted as has been the opening 49 through plate 40, and as in Figures 1 and 2, the container 33 normally rests in position A in air tight contact with gasket 39 as shown in Figure 3. When it is desired to dump garbage into container 33, control lever 28 is swung in a clockwise direction to lower said container. A pull outwardly will then result in swinging arm 22 outwardly so that container 33 may thus be disposed in the position indicated at C, Figure l. The container is then in a convenient position to receive garbage accumulated on the drain board and in the sink ll. When the garbage has been dumped into said container it may then be swung back to position beneath gasket 39 and the operating lever 28 may then be swung in a counterclockwise direction to raise said container into air tight contact withsaid gasket, in which position it rests until it is again desired to dump garbage therein, or to remove said container from container support 3! for any purpose.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have shown and described such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

What I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, an

arm supported for selective horizontal swinging movement in a fixed path of travel, a container support arranged on the free end of said arm for axial vertical movement, a garbage container normally disposed on said support and having an open end through which garbage may be deposited therein, a closure for the open end of said container, means supporting said closure relative to said path of travel above said container so that said arm and said container support may be swung to dispose said container in a position of vertical alignment with said closure for closed position of said container or selectively to a vertically spaced laterally ofiset position relative to said closure for open position of said container, and operatable control means between said arm and said container support arranged to function when operated to raise said container support and provide forcible closing contact of the open end of said container with said closure in closed position of said container.

2. In a device of the character described, an arm supported for selective horizontal swinging movement in a fixed path of travel, a container support arranged on the free end of said arm for axial vertical movement, a garbage container normally disposed on said container support and having an open end through which garbage may be deposited therein, a closure for the open end of said container including a resilient gasket, means detachably supporting said closure relative to said path of travel above said container so that said arm and said container support may swing to dispose said container in a position of vertical alignment with said closure for closed position of said container or selectively to a vertically spaced laterally offset position relative to said closure for open position of said container, separately operatable control means between said arm and said container support arranged to function when operated so as to raise said container support and provide forcible closing contact of the open end of said container with said resilient gasket in closed position of said container, and means for actuating said control means.

3. A device of the character described comprising: a table like superstructure, an opening therethrough, a gasket mounted on the under face of said table and circumscribing the opening therethrough, a receptacle having an open upper mouth, a supporting arm carrying said receptacle and being mounted upon a fixed vertical pivot whereby the arm may swing in a horizontal plane, means interposed between the arm and receptacle to be separately actuated to raise and lower the container to move its mouth into sealing rela tionship with the gasket and to hold it in this position, and a removable cover for said opening.

CHARLES LE BLEU. 

